People come out in force to pray during times of crises like Haiti; does it really work?

Prayers to reduce crime, to aid disaster victims.

JOHN PEMBERTON/The Times-UnionRaising their hands to the heavens, members of the chorus at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church join with the congregation during a citywide revival for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Prayers for the victims of the Haiti earthquake flashed around the world via radio, TV, Internet and cell phone almost as quickly as the killer temblor struck.

More followed and continue today. But have they really helped?

Yes, said Sherrie Fausey, a Jacksonville native who was operating a school and orphanage in Port-au-Prince when the quake shook the Caribbean island nation to its core.

"I knew people were praying for us and I know God answers prayer," said Fausey, who is a Christian. "I think it gave us all strength."

One thing for sure is that people turn to prayer to deal with stressful events, and the bigger the event, the bigger the prayers.

Jacksonville has seen it firsthand in recent memory.

The 2006 Day of Faith was a massive prayer rally and revival to combat rising homicide rates in Jacksonville. On several occasions since then, including this month, ministers and churches have united to focus their money, time, energy and prayers on undermining violent crime.

Skeptics say such prayers are a waste of time, proven by the fact that crime and earthquakes continue.

But organizers of and participants in prayer events say there is extra power in targeted, group prayers and that the results usually aren't the parting-of-the-Red-Sea miracles some believers may want and skeptics require as proof.

Corporate prayer 'unites'

Group prayer, also known as corporate prayer, is a way of motivating large numbers of people to support a cause, said the Rev. Kelly Brown Jr., pastor of Greater Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church and leader of a newly launched effort to unite Jacksonville's religious community against crime.

The "Preaching that Changes Lives" campaign was launched this month to persuade church-goers to step up the moral instruction of young people in their homes and families.

A kickoff revival included healthy doses of prayer for Jacksonville (prayers for Haiti were included). Both the preaching and prayer will continue at dozens of congregations in coming months, Brown said.

"Until the hearts of folks change, we're not going to have any effect," Brown said. Corporate prayer "is a method of people getting on one accord."

Aka 'intercessory prayer'

The practice also is known as intercessory prayer because it seeks God's intercession in human affairs, said the Rev. Eric Jaffe, lead pastor of Journey Church in Orange Park and an organizer of Impact Clay, an interdenominational prayer group launched Jan. 14.

"The technical term is 'standing in the gap,'" Jaffe said. "If you see a problem in society - Haiti, financial turmoil - we are ... called to help."

The topic of such prayer should be specific, Jaffe said: "We are asking for God's help for, say, an economic favor, to give us the right business owners to further economic development."

Such prayer is called for in Scripture, he said.

"For whatever reason ... that's how he [God] responds," Jaffe said. "I don't know why he does it - that's one of those mystery things."

Prayer 'ineffective'

But atheist Ellen Johnson says there's really no mystery at all because prayer, by itself, doesn't work.

"If all they did was pray, nothing would happen," said Johnson, executive director of EnlightenTheVote.com, a political action committee dedicated to electing atheists and other nonreligious candidates to public office nationwide.

Notice, she said, that most religious groups combine fundraising with their prayers for victims of catastrophes.

"In and of itself, prayer is not going to get people out from under the rubble" in Haiti, said Johnson, the former president of American Atheists Inc., the organization that sued the city over the Day of Faith and the city of Starke over the cross on its water tower.

"Prayer alone is not efficacious - you cannot ask a god to solve these problems."

Researchers study prayer

Research into the psychological benefits of prayer suggests it really may work, said Gabriel Ybarra, a licensed psychologist and associate professor of psychology at the University of North Florida.

Prayer is shown to help reduce stress by creating expectations in more positive outcomes to challenging health and social situations, Ybarra said.

The principle extends to group prayers for victims, such as those suffering from the Haiti earthquake, Ybarra said.

Being prayed for creates knowledge in the recipient he or she is empathized with, which in turn creates "an experience of being socially supported," Ybarra said. "That is the No. 1 buffer to psychological problems."

Those doing the praying for others also benefit mentally because doing so is an act of kindness.

"They can't necessarily fly over there and give them water, but they can pray for them and that's understood to be beneficial, to engage in an altruistic act for another human being," Ybarra said.

Religion reduces delinquency

Research in juvenile delinquency also suggests a link between religious faith and criminal behavior, said Michael Hallett, professor and chairman of criminology at the University of North Florida.

There isn't any research to suggest prayer reduces crime, but some studies show that active involvement in religious communities makes participants less likely to offend, Hallett said.

"The debate is about whether the cause ... is divine or simply a by-product of strong social networks that tend to coexist with church membership," he said.

Hallett said Jacksonville ministers' efforts have been successful by getting the social causes of crime - family breakdown, poverty and poor education - in the public eye.

Brown, at Greater Mount Vernon, said he's A-OK with the debate over prayer. He doesn't know why God works through prayer.

"I don't know how it works," Brown said. "All I know is that it works."

The dictionary defines Religion as .."a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects"

By the defination, Athheists like Ellen Johnson are truly religious fanatics, and use the courts to promote their religion. I thought there was supposed to be "seperation of church and state!"..At least that what the Religion of Atheism preaches! I guess seperation is only for the other people that believe in a deity!

Another observation about the Church of the Atheist is that not SINGLE one has come together or given a dime to suppor the the horrors that have been thrust upon any group of people. The only thing I can do about the Religion of Atheism is pray for them.

Funds collected by religions other than the religion of Atheism are distributed to everyone in need, INCLUDING Atheists! Maybe Ellen Johnson could elaborate on how they have helped the people in need, after they finish their meal and bottle of water supplied by the prayer of others.

Prayers help in any situation no matter what some may say. There are those who never pray until they are in dire need of help. It would be nice if everyone prayed all the time not just when they need something. casino en ligne

Your sentiment seems accepable, at least on the surface. However, religion has been responsible for more horror on this planet, and for impeding the human race, more than any single other thing. Make no mistake, the religious organs through out the world do the things they do for one reason and one reason only, to further their religious agenda. So while it may be true that some good happens accidentally through the work of religious organs, the underlying damage to lives and the human race cannot be understated. The plight in Africa is a perfect example where the Aides epidemic is completely out of control. Why one might ask? Because the church interfered in the US approach to the epidemic and pushed abstinence only instead of handing out condoms. Millions are dying in African because of the church and for no other reason. Shall we also talk about todays news about teen pregnancy and abortion going up in 2006 for no other reason but for the abstinence only program pushed by the church?

It is sheer ignorance to pretend, or to go along with, the concept that religion is a force for good in the world. To believe such a thing is to ignore all of human history.

So while you may think let them pray, I would prefer they actually do something, locally and nationally, that makes an actual impact on the world around them.

I consider myself to be pretty patient. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right; and how about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take placed, cell-by-cell and gene-by-gene. I've even been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

But today, I want to let you know about some things that are starting to tick me off.

First of all, your religious rivalries are driving me up a wall. Enough already! Let's get one thing straight these are your religions, not mine. I'm the Whole Enchilada; I'm beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there's only one of me. But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's my favorite one. And each claims I wrote its Bible personally, and all the other Bibles are man-made. Oh me, how do I even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

Okay, listen up now I'm your Father and Mother, and I don't play favorites among My Children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I didn't write that stuff. I've always been more of a "doer" anyway. So all your books, including the Bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living Heart. You see, one Human

Being to me-even a bum on the street-is worth more than all the holy books in the world.

That's just the kind of God I Am.

My Spirit is not a historical thing; it's alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me.

Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense; You act like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls" for My Sake. Please, don't do me any favors. I can stand quite well on my own, thank you. I don't need you to defend me, and I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other.

The thing is I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to me. The true purpose of your religions is so that you can become more aware of me, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached.

Lighten up and enjoy me. That's what religion is best for.

What you seem to forget is how mysterious I Am. You look at petty little differences in your scriptures and say, "Well, if this is the Truth, then that can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature-which, by the way, you never will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in every religion? You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Consider them:

a). Love and respect everyone. This doesn’t mean you have to like everyone and associate with all!

b). Be kind. Even when life is scary or confusing, take courage, be of good cheer, I am always with you.

c). Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear My Still, Small Voice (I don't like to shout).

d. Leave the world a better place - live your life with dignity and grace.

e). Hold back nothing from life - the parts of you that can die will surely die, and the parts that can't, won't.

So don't worry, be happy! Simple stuff, really. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakan Tanka, Brahma, Father, Mother, or even The Void or Nirvana? Do you think I care which of My Special Children you feel closest to - Moses, Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others?

You can call me and My Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about my business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

I'm not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, and learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions into One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for himself or herself.

But My Special Children - the ones your religions revolve around - all live in the same place (My Heart) and they get along perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none.

My Blessed Children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotry and confusion. Air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns connect the whole planet. Get with the program! If you really want to help me celebrate life, commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you need, if only you would abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving, and laughing together.

Finally, I'm not really ticked off; I just wanted to grab your attention because I don't like to see you suffer. But I gave you Free Will, so what can I do now other than to try to influence you through reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and manipulation? After all, I am the original Jewish Mother. I just want you to be happy. I really am, indeed, with you always. Always - Always.

So, trust In Me, eat a piece of chocolate and get on with being joyful.